New Zealand A Great Place To Raise Kids? Porirua's Midnight Express

 Porirua

New Zealand is a great place to raise kids.

That's the reason that many people cite for wanting to relocate their families to New Zealand, or they'll say that NZ is a place where 'kids can be kids for longer' but how realistic are those aspirations and what's life really like for young people?

Children in New Zealand get a pretty raw deal - the country is ranked joint third in the world by UNICEF for the highest number of child maltreatment deaths (1.2 per 100,000 children) only the US and Mexico have more. Young young people also feature highly in crime statistics, both as perpetrators and victims.

Kiwi youth suffer some of the worst health outcomes in the developed world. New Zealand youth have higher rates of mental illness, suicide, teen pregnancy and suffered more injuries than young people in other OECD countries. (source)

In addition to an alarming teen suicide rate kids also have a problem with alcohol. So much so that the Chief Coroner says he is shocked and frustrated by the high number of very young teens (some as young as 13) who drink themselves to death in New Zealand. It’s another symptom of the country’s hard drinking/binge drinking culture and a bored, disaffected youth.

One thing we've noticed over the last year or so are the increasing numbers of children involved in violent crimes such as armed robberies and muggings. The latest of which was the gang of teenagers that held up the Ranui Food Bar and Takeaway with hammers and a gun in West Auckland last night, just as the shop was closing at 9pm. Their ill gotten gains included of all things a fresh stock of ice creams from a freezer. (source)

"...A girl wearing a cap and hoodie pulled over her face pointed a gun at owner Yunan Zheng, who was vacuuming the front of the shop.

"The girl with the gun said, 'Hurry up, give us some money'," Zheng said.

Two others brandished hammers as they rushed into the shop and filled backpacks with icecreams from a freezer.

One tried to take cash from the till but was unable to open the drawer.

The group were caught on security camera, but wore hoods pulled over their head, and scarves or T-shirts wrapped around their faces.

Zheng said at least three of the robbers were girls, and suspected two were the same pair who robbed the shop on New Year's Eve, when they made off with cash from the till.

The two robberies were the first incidents in five years at the Swanson Rd business..." more

The Herald went on to remind its readers that shops had been robbed by sweet toothed gangs of armed kids before in Auckland:

"It's not the first time young offenders have held up Auckland shopowners for lollies (ed. sweets) and icecreams.

In March last year three boys robbed the Edendale Superette in central Auckland at gunpoint, filling a bag with icecreams and chocolate and taking cigarettes and about $400 in cash.

Shopkeeper Shazia Hussain was alone in the shop with her two-month-old baby at the time.

The boys had been captured on security camera in the shop earlier that day with their faces uncovered."

But sometimes these gangs of kids become excessively violent and injure their victims, and they're not all looking for lollies and icecreams either as other recent robberies have demonstrated:

Asian businessman Richard Tang was stabbed eight times by a gang of bandana wearing youths who stormed into his dairy in Papakura, they escaped with just $200.

In Papkura a gang of five kids (two aged 17 and three aged 14) held a pistol to the head of Ben Sun as they robbed his dairy in New Plymouth.

Pregnant woman, Mrs Sarah Fergusson, was robbed by a 16 year old youth wielding a knife at her fruit and vegetable shop, also in New Plymouth.

The rise in youth offending has been attributed to the breakdown of family life in certain areas of New Zealand, the effects of the recession, grinding poverty and kids being treated far too leniently by the justice system.

There's an excellent feature article written by Matt Calman in the Dominion Post, in which he talks about The Midnight Express that patrols the streets of Porirua (an area popular with western immigrants) their mission is to keep youth - mainly between 11 and 18 - safe in the "unsociable" hours of the night and early morning.

It's worth reading the entire article, if you dare. We'd consider it to be mandataory if you have children and are thinking of moving them to NZ for a 'better life'.

If you're already living there, what are your kids doing this evening?

"It's a Safe Ride on the Midnight Express"

...Ms Barnden says every time the team heads out, there is the potential for danger but it is not the youth they fear. "It's not actually the kids that are dangerous. It's the environment. We don't know who does carry a knife. It's purely because there's no structure at night."

It ticks past 11pm as the van drives past the three teenage girls huddling beside the Hill 16 bar. One yells out: "Get lost Midnight!"

"...When they reach Calliope Park the youth workers leave the van for about an hour and chat to a 20member group aged mainly 15 and 16. As they arrive, two drunken teenage girls stumble, arm-in-arm, towards their friends gathered in the dark near the play equipment. The park is one of the most popular meeting points for youth in Porirua East...

...Ms Barnden says the main threat to youth late at night is from adults, particularly a small number of suspected sexual predators they have seen approaching teens.

The youth workers carry suspect- description forms, provided by a security firm, and take details of potential offenders to pass on to police.

When they see these men talking to the teens they will enter the conversation so the men know they have been noticed.

One man in his late 40s or early 50s carries a motorcycle helmet and tells teens he is a tramper from Titahi Bay. He offers them cigarettes and his jacket and carries $200 cash with him...

"He plays cat and mouse with intoxicated girls," Ms Barnden says. "Apparently he has been seen in Johnsonville now."

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Chinese Dairy Owner Stabbed In Napier

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Napier was buzzing yesterday when parts of the town were closed off following the stabbing of a dairy owner on Latham Street. People on the Trademe boards identified the business as the Vigor Brown Dairy, owned by a Chinese family:

“It was the Vigor Brown dairy. There is nothing to see, the shop is now shut. And if you look at the photo on the news online it is that one.
My sister near ran over the guy at Marewa as he was being chased by cops he slid off his bicycle and went under her car before she could get out to see if he was ok he had taken off again with cops chasing behind!
My thoughts go out to the man and his family. Last I heard he was in stable condition.”

Official news reports simply stated:

“Napier police are hunting a man after a dairy owner was stabbed during a robbery this morning.
The Latham Street dairy was robbed about 11am, Napier police said.
They would not confirm that a person had been stabbed but said a knife may have been involved.
A photographer at the scene told NZPA the dairy owner was taken away by an ambulance and a trail of blood was visible in the dairy.
Police were searching for a “skinny” Maori man wearing dark pants, a blue hoodie with white writing on the sleeves and white shoes.”

Reports today confirmed that the man was a Chinese national in his 40s and that he was stabbed in the neck and shoulder and cut on the head.

Our thoughts go out to the injured man and his family, we wish him a full and speedy recovery.
Unfortunately armed robbery has become a widespread problem in New Zealand, hardly a day goes by without one happening somewhere, a symptom of a society with a wide gulf between the haves and the have nots.

The attack came two days after a number of Asian people were held-up at knife point when a man went on the rampage in the Christchurch suburb of Riccarton see here for details

We keep a list of all the armed hold-ups we get to hear about, you can find it here

Despite propaganda to the contrary Crime rates in New Zealand are very high. Says who? well the OECD for one. They say “New Zealand is second only to Ireland in 26 OECD countries in internationally comparable data on vehicle, theft and contact crimes. 22% of New Zealanders experienced such a crime in a 12-month period, compared to an OECD average of 16%.”

You’re far more likely to experience this type of crime in New Zealand than in almost any other country in the OECD.

In 2009 crime in New Zealand rose by 3.5 percent, there were 9% more violent offences – over 65,000. There were 65 murders, up 25% over the previous year, the highest figure for 10 years 10 years.  Serious assaults were  up 6% and minor assaults increased nearly 12% source

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Discrimination Against Asians Still A Key Issue In New Zealand - Updated

Asian New Zealanders and international students continue to experience racial discrimination and harassment, according to a report released by Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres.

It seems that discrimination has increased over the last year (perhaps this is a result of a 'kiwis first' mentality during the recession?) with Asians being the most discriminated against. Overall around 10% of New Zealanders experienced discrimination and it looks like police still don't collect data on racially motivated crimes:

"Public perceptions of discrimination against ethnic groups, and particularly Asians, have increased in the past 12 months. Two-thirds of survey respondents nominated an ethnic group when asked who they thought was most discriminated in New Zealand, and 28 per cent identified Asians. In a further question, when given a list of 14 named groups to choose from, 75 per cent identified Asians as the most discriminated against.

The 2009 Statistics New Zealand general social survey also asked questions about discrimination. The survey showed 10 per cent of New Zealanders experienced discrimination. The most common grounds were race, ethnic group or skin colour, and Asians experienced the most discrimination.

Examples of discrimination and harassment regularly heard by the Commission included discrimination in employment, verbal abuse (often shouted from people in cars), having water bombs and eggs thrown at them, abuse by neighbours, rubbish being tipped over the fence, damage to property and cars, bullying in schools, and harassment in the workplace.

“This type of behavior is not carried out by the majority of New Zealanders, but it is common and everyone needs to help put a stop to it,” said Mr de Bres.

Mr de Bres made five recommendations for addressing the situation:

    * Encouraging people to share stories of discrimination, harassment and abuse (in the workplace, education sector, health sector and communities).

    * Countering the relatively high incidence of discrimination against Asian New Zealanders, through government, businesses, school and community action.

    * Ensuring the safety of international students, including effective reporting mechanisms, through the education sector, police and local government action.

    * Police collection of data on racially motivated crime, as recommended by the United Nations Periodic Review of New Zealand and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

    * Formally welcoming and acknowledging international students and temporary migrant workers in communities (for example, at Race Relations Day events).

The review of racial discrimination and harassment forms part of the Commission’s annual Race Relations Report, which will be released in Auckland on 11 March."

In November we talked about how the Maori party Co-vice president Heta Hingston said a lot of racism in New Zealand was covered up:  

"racism ... in New Zealand, is covert. Very few of the ardent anti-Maori, anti-Islander, anti-Asian front up... (the secrecy) is the worst part about racism that is rife in New Zealand. There are so many good Pakehas being tarred with the brush of those other racists that is all hidden."

Which is why police need to start collecting data on racially motivated crimes.

And in September we covered a Press report that everyday 'race hate' is rife in places like Christchurch. At that time  Joris de Bres said race-hate crimes were a problem not just in Christchurch but around the country and were occurring more often than was reported to police:

  "It's becoming more and more urgent for police to gather data of racial abuse. The Government does agree but has said it's not a priority. People needed to report their experience and schools needed a culture of tolerance and respect, he said."

Well his words have been proven to be true, incidents of racial discrimination have continued to increase. Perhaps the government should now give this issue priority and stop worrying about what it will do to New Zealand's international reputation, or the crime figure?


Update 
The report was released as scheduled on 11 March 2010 and Lincoln Tan of the Herald covered the story:

"The Human Rights Commission says racial discrimination and harassment in New Zealand is worrying.

In the annual Race Relations Report released today, the commission says it received 1253 race-related complaints and inquiries last year, which is "significantly higher" than in previous years.
Complaints related to race accounted for 55.4 per cent of all discrimination approaches.
"Data on racial discrimination and harassment from 2009 are a cause for concern," said Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres.

Also on the rise is public perceptions of discrimination against ethnic minorities, especially Asians...

There was an interesting snippet about the plight of people on temporary work permits, demonstrating that they are still being affected by 'jobs for kiwis' policies:

"Nearly one in three Maori and Pacific youth were unemployed at the end of 2009. People on temporary work permits were also affected by the recession, as their permits were not extended," Mr de Bres said." read the article

For blog posts about Racism in New Zealand please click HERE,

See Also:  Malaysian tour group subjected to racism in Arrowtown.

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Japanese Students Attacked At Christchurch Bus Stop - Updated

There's a report in today's The Press, detailed on Stuff.co.nz telling the shocking story of how two Asian students were subjected to aggression and an unprovoked attack by a gang of skinheads in Christchurch (watch the video report here)

Two Asian students, said to be Japanese nationals, were sitting at the bus stop outside of The Palms shopping mall in Christchurch yesterday evening at 6.30pm when a group of 4 skinheads approached them. A witness saw the group of 4 males, all shirtless and wearing camouflage gear, walk up to the 2 students.

According to the witness the group, which had two pit bull dogs with them, started to hassle the students until one of them got up to leave whereupon he was punched in the face causing him to stumble on to the road. He was then punched again and the group calmly strolled away.

The witness to this moronic and cowardly attack on two defenseless kids tried to phone the emergency services but couldn't get through because of problems with the network, he then had to ask a bus driver to phone his office and ask them to call for help. Meanwhile the gang of thugs disappeared.

It would seem that Christchurch isn't a great place to be, for either visitors or locals. In August of last year a Fijian student was injured in a racist attack at Linwood College, his mother said that she had spoken the other parents in the Indian community and their children had been bullied too. Her son had also been taunted with names like "curry chicken", "black Indian" and "Indian boy." The family moved to NZ to escape the violence of Suva.

In September a man having part Indian and his friend were attacked a gang of jobs. This from Stuff

"Christchurch computer programmer Mike Nicholls, 24, said he was racially abused and punched in September last year by a group of men who had attacked a friend.

Nicholls, who is part Indian, said cans were thrown at his car and he was called "nigger" and told to "go home" after he intervened when a friend was attacked in a restaurant carpark on Moorhouse Ave. Police are investigating the incident."

Christchurch has recently earned itself the dubious title of 'Murder Capital Of New Zealand' which was re-inforced after the death of a 62 year old widow was brutally murdered in her own home a week ago.

This most recent assault has drawn a fair amount of contempt from the readers of Stuff who are very eager to talk about the issue of racism in Christchurch, allegedly a "haven for Neo-Nazis due to the lack of competition from other gangs" (see below) You may remember that a few days ago we spoke of how police in New Zealand still don't/won't collect data on racially motivated crimes, it is very hard to know the true extent of this problem both in Christchurch and throughout the country.

These are a few of the reader comments about on Stuff about racism in Christchurch:

Doug
"I am appalled by the lack of "retaliatory action" by the Asian community against the Neo-Nazis so far. But I guess the bulk of the Asian community knows that these can't be helped living in Christchurch, like they say, "You can't complain about the noise if you move in near the airport." This Japanese student finally understood the toll for enjoying the significantly cheaper living costs of Christchurch compared to Auckland. He should also understans why disproportionalely greater Japanese New Zealand residents reside in Auckland than Christchurch in contrast to other Asians."

Sacwehc
"I am most disappointed that the police and other authority repeatedly deny there is rascism in the city. As long as they refuse to admit there is a problem, there will be little effort to address and tackle the situation. re they waiting for a more serious attack? Unprovoked assaults that leaves someone bleeding and broken is not serious enough? What if THEY are at the receiving end? Will that and only that spur them into action? We have a racism problem, FACE IT! DEAL WITH IT! That is JUSTICE and the PEOPLE'S RIGHTS!"

NationalistRE
I am a frequent poster on japantoday.com, I have become aware from my New Zeland sources that this Asian student is Japanese and I am ashamed that a Yamato must become victimised by Neo-Nazis who are not the finest specimens on Western Europeans, let alone the Anglo-Celtic race! The police insist it was not a racially motivated attack despite eye witness reports to the contrary.
My source tells me that Christchurch is a haven for Neo-Nazis because of the lack of presence of competing mutliracial gangs like those active in the North Island. Then it would seem the South Islanders are cowards for not actively confronting these Neo-Nazis in both lawful and unlawful fronts.
Although it would be a tall order for New Zealand to implement solid anti-hate/Nazi laws like those in France and Germany, they can take comfort in the fact that Christchurch is not an important economic centre for non-whites who could flee to Auckland if they see any more of these Neo-Nazis out and about. Furthermore, it was fortunate this Far Easterner victim was not from a ethnic group that has significantly more economic clout in this city like the Chinese or the Koreans!"

Update 27 February 2010

"Police will not log Chch attack as race-based" The Press (link)
Police have no immediate plans to collect statistics on racially motivated crimes.

An attack on a 24-year-old Japanese man in Christchurch this week raised concerns about hate crimes in the city. Police maintained the incident was not motivated by race.

Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres renewed a call for police to record any racially motivated attack separately so action could be taken and minority groups would have greater confidence in the police.

A national police spokesman said police did not gather statistics specifically related to "hate crime"...

...According to Britain's Home Office, a hate crime is an offence motivated by hostility or prejudice based upon the victim's disability, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

The Home Office says research has shown hate crimes cause greater psychological harm than crimes without a motivation of prejudice, create fear and encourage communities to turn on each other."

Why is there NO anti-hate crime legislation in New Zealand? is New Zealand alone in the developed world in not having it?

See also blog posts:
Everyday race hate rife in Christchurch 
Covert Racial Prejudice commonplace in NZ


For other posts about the problem of racism in New Zealand click: HERE

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Under Reporting Of Crime To The Media

 Something that we've long suspected was confirmed today - many crimes simply don't make it to the media. Perhaps because of the adverse publicity they may attract?

Prize of the week goes to the NZ Herald for coming across and publishing the story about the store of shop keeper Navtej Singh being held up again only 2 months after he was killed in it in June 2008. It's surprising that nothing was published about it a year ago.

Eventually the story has seen the light of day according to a Herald report today:

"Gurwinder Singh, 40, who watched as Navtej Singh was shot point blank, was still grieving when Douglas Leatinuu and two others entered his store on August 6 to rob it.

Last week Leatinuu was sentenced to three years and six months in prison for aggravated robbery and burglary charges arising from other incidents.

Judge Roy Wade said while sentencing Leatinuu, the case was "particularly poignant" because of Mr Singh's victim impact statement.

"The victim of this liquor store robbery tells me that his most traumatic feature of the ordeal was the knowledge that only [two] months earlier his business partner had been shot dead in another aggravated robbery of precisely the same liquor store."

The court heard that the three men had, after entering the liquor store, attempted to convince Gurwinder Singh to let them take some alcohol and pay the next day. Mr Singh refused and the group left.

But seconds later they re-entered, pushed 22-year-old shop assistant Sahib Singh backwards and swore at him. Mr Singh was on the phone to the police by then and was describing everything that was happening, he said yesterday....."

The death of  Navtej Singh, which caused an outcry in June 2008, was one of a spate of attacks on Auckland shop workers last year. Why the news of the second robbery wasn't released at the time is anybody's guess but feelings in the Indian community were running high at the time and rightly so. Were the press asked to keep a lid on it and if so what does that say about press freedom in NZ?

Mr Singh's family said that police had waited 28 minutes after he was shot before they would allow paramedics to access the scene of the crime, despite 111 staff being told that the robbers had long since left the premises. Vital time was lost in administering medical aid to the wounded man who later died from his injuries.
A month later around 10,000 people took part in an Auckland rally to protest about violence against Asians in the city after 3 people of Asian descent were killed within the space of a month:

• A week after Navtej Singh was killed 80-year-old Yan Ping Yang died after being attacked by an intruder in her Manurewa home.

•  Joanne Wang, 39, died in hospital in late June after being knocked down by a stolen vehicle in a car park at the Manukau Westfield shopping centre after her handbag was snatched. Her 8 year old son was with her at the time.

Earlier in the year  Krishna Naidu was stabbed to death by a 16 year old youth in a dairy in Finlayson Avenue, Manurewa.

The march was organised by the Asian Anti-Crime group and included people carrying coffins and placards with pictures of those killed.

Others carried New Zealand flags and signs calling for tougher sentencing and zero tolerance for crime.


Nether request has ever been met.

Also see
"Police solved only 5 of the 53 aggravated robberies of South Auckland shops in the six months before liquor store owner Navtej Singh was fatally shot in a hold-up."

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Bystander Shot On Motorway Following Handbag Theft

(from a lost post by Luthien)

Source: NZ Herald
A vehicle was stolen in West Auckland earlier today and used in a handbag snatch that went fatally wrong.

Following a high speed pursuit on Auckland's North Western Motorway involving the Armed
Offenders Squad a member of the public was was shot dead and another injured. At this time it is not known who fired the fatal shot.

20 police vehicles and a helicopter were involved in the chase which started at 1pm following a handbag theft in Titirangi.

A man has been arrested and a sawn off .22 rifle was found at the scene.

Back in Sept 2008 this blog highlighted the problem of bag snatches in the Auckland area. Link - Bag snatchers targeting women again

The Waitemata police carried out a series of raids on the homes of an Auckland-wide gang that was stealing handbags from the front seats of cars while women loaded their groceries into the boot.

At the time 9 men were arrested but police admitted that it hadn't stopped thieves from stealing women's bags and the spate of thefts continued in the New Lynn Area (close to Titirangi) all of which involved the use of stolen cars to make a getaway.

Woman killed in robbery June 2008

In June of last year 39 year old Joanne Wang (right) was killed when she was run down down in the street after her handbag was snatched at the Manukau Westfield shopping centre, her 8 year old son was with her and was traumatised after witnessing the appalling incident. News link

47 Bag Snatches over the Christmas period

Then in December police released released video footage of another dramatic handbag theft in South Auckland, showing a woman being dragged along the ground by her attacker. Over the Christmas period there were 47 bag snatches in the area. Link TVNZ

Police have said that it's becoming a big problem in the area and the criminals are targeting Asians.

These incidents suggest that the rule of law is failing in Auckland and the problem is beyond the the control of the police. It belies the commonly held perception that New Zealand safe place in which to live.